MELBOURNE, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Australia's aura as a white-ball heavyweight has all but petered out in the space of two disastrous defeats at the T20 World Cup where the absence of their champion fast bowlers has been ruthlessly exposed.
Following an abject 23-run defeat to world number 11 Zimbabwe, Australia crashed to an eight-wicket loss to co-hosts Sri Lanka in Kandy on Monday to be pushed to the brink of a humiliating exit.
Mitchell Marsh's team must now rely on 12th-ranked Ireland to save them by beating Zimbabwe later on Tuesday.
Even then, Australia will need Sri Lanka, who have qualified for the Super Eight phase, to knock out Zimbabwe on Thursday to stay alive ahead of a final group match against Oman.
"There's still a chance," Marsh told reporters in Kandy.
"But yeah, what do you say? The luck of the Irish."
Having won the 2021 T20 World Cup and a record six 50-over World Cups, Australia have long prided themselves on their ability to shrug off all challenges and peak at the big events.
However, their usual swagger has disappeared without the senior players who have underpinned their success.
With left-arm great Mitchell Starc retired from T20 internationals and fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined with injury, it is Australia's first World Cup in over a decade without at least one of their champion pace trio.
The back-up seamers led by Nathan Ellis have struggled to impose themselves, while veteran legspinner Adam Zampa has been punished by the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka batters in two wicketless displays.
Australia's batting, meanwhile, has failed repeatedly against spin and lost 10 wickets for 77 runs against Sri Lanka after Marsh and fellow opener Travis Head made 104 runs in 8.3 overs.
FORM QUERIES
While injuries have hardly helped, Australia's rushed preparations and selections have confounded former players and fans.
With Australia's domestic Big Bash League (BBL) stretching deep into the home summer, players arrived late for a warm-up series against Pakistan and were duly thrashed 3-0.
Of those not carrying injuries, some brought form queries to Pakistan which have remained through the World Cup.
Master batter Steve Smith was not among the squad, though, despite averaging just under 60 in a stellar campaign for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL.
Selectors ignored calls to include the ageing great until injuries forced their hand on Sunday.
Even then, fans will wonder why Smith was left out of the 11 against Sri Lanka along with batter Matt Renshaw, who was dropped after a top score of 65 against Zimbabwe and 37 against Ireland.
Marsh, who returned for the Sri Lanka match after two games out with a testicular injury, said Renshaw made way so he could come back in.
But fans may wonder why others held their spots.
None among the trio of Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and Tim David reached single figures in either defeat against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
Former Australia test batter Mark Waugh said the whole campaign has been "doomed from the get-go" due to injuries and selections.
"I just think they've got the selections completely wrong and to have your best player by 100 yards sitting on the sideline in Steve Smith ... I think it’s an insult to Steve Smith, to be honest," Waugh said on SEN radio on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
